Reduce Inflamation with Lectin Free Eating

I was a complete vegetarian for 27 years. About twenty years ago I was given a book called Eat Right for Your Blood Type. I had begun to experience inflammatory problems including joint pain and allergies as well as autoimmune thyroiditis also known as Hashimoto’s Disease. This book introduced me to Lectins. Lectins are proteins found in plants that, when not cooked at high heat or pressure, cause an inflammatory response when eaten. Although I reduced my consumption of lectin foods at that time, I did not completely eliminate them altogether. Over time, the joint pain and inflammation got worse and I even began to have Lupus like symptoms.

This summer our family decided to eliminate all lectin containing foods. Over the past several months we have been following this list very closely. My personal experience has been extremely positive. Most of my inflammatory symptoms have decreased. On top of that, I have lost about one pound per week.

If you would like to give this a try, here is the list of foods to consume as well as the list of foods to avoid.

Lectin Free Foods

Oils and Fats

Algae oil

Olive oil

Grass-fed ghee

Coconut oil

Macadamia oil

MCT oil

Avocado oil

Avocado oil mayo

Perilla oil

Walnut oil

Red palm oil

Rice bran oil

Sesame oil

Flavored cod liver oil

Fruit

Avocado

All berries in season (berries are natural lectin blockers)

Kiwis

Resistant Starches

These are great for your microbiome, but eat them in moderation.

Siete brand tortillas

Bread and bagels made by Julian Bakery

Paleo Wraps made with coconut flour

Paleo coconut cakes

Green plantains

Green bananas

Baobab fruit

Cassava

Sweet potatoes or yams

Rutabaga

Parsnips

Yucca

Celery root

Glucomannan

Persimmon

Jicama

Taro roots

Turnips

Tiger nuts

Green mango

Millet Sorghum

Green papaya

Veggies

Cruciferous

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Cauli ower

Bok choy

Napa cabbage

Chinese cabbage

Swiss chard

Arugula

Watercress

Collards

Kale

Green and Red cabbage Radicchio

Raw sauerkraut Kimchi

Nopales cactus

Celery

Onions

Leeks

Chives

Scallions

Chicory

Carrots

Carrot greens

Artichokes

Beets

Radishes

Daikon radishes

Jerusalem artichokes

Hearts of palm Cilantro

Okra (lectin blocker)

Asparagus

Garlic

Leafy greens

Romaine

Red and green leaf lettuce Kohlrabi

Mesclun

Spinach

Endive

Dandelion greens

Butter lettuce

Fennel

Escarole

Mustard greens

Mizuna

Parsley

Basil

Mint

Purslane

Perilla

Algae

Seaweed

Sea vegetables (Bladderwrack is a lectin blocker)

Mushrooms

Sweeteners (In general, I would try to avoid sweeteners for other reasons)